


Irresistible

by Era_Penn



Series: imaginetonyandbucky fills [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: AU, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Modeling, Music, Panic Attack, Pining, Prompt Fill, Shovel Talk, Songfic, band au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-22
Updated: 2016-04-22
Packaged: 2018-06-03 18:04:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6620782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Era_Penn/pseuds/Era_Penn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Imagine: Tony is like 23 and in successful band who mostly sings about heartbreak, because the love his life(Bucky)left him (ur choice why). Bucky, a now successful model doesn't figure out Tony is signing about him until he hears the lines 'You know I give my love a f-f-four letter na-na-name' (James [lets pretend it fits]) and 'Mon chéri' & "mi amor" because Tony use to call him those all the time, and now they're at the same party. (Song is irresistible-Fall Out Boy)</p><p>All lyrics taken from "Irresistible" by Fall Out Boy</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_The Avengers_ fame originated on Iron Man’s Youtube channel, which was called _Heartbreak, Thy Name is a Soldier_ , after their first single, which went viral and gained over two million hits in two minutes, and continued climbing. The drummer War Machine could set a beat like no other, the bassist Hulk sometimes taking over to create incredibly unique sounds ranging from bone-deep rage to soul-deep sweet. The pianist Black Widow was astoundingly good, and the mysterious person who played everything else as necessary, Hawkeye, was known for finding unusual means to create unusual sounds that rocked the alternative rock world. Iron Man himself played guitar, and sang like an angel. Supposedly they had another member who handled all the technical aspects of the recordings as well. No one knew who any of them were; and their manager and publicist, one Pepper Potts, wasn’t talking.

And for that, Tony Stark was relieved. If anyone found out Iron Man was Tony Stark, he just knew word would get back to James Barnes somehow, and how pathetic was he, still mooning over a guy who left him five years ago? James hadn’t wanted all the prestige and money that came with the Stark name, not once they were adults. Tony had begged, pleaded, offered to run away with James and never look back.

But James hadn’t wanted him anymore, and so Tony let him go, even though it hurt worse than blistering skin under a soldering iron. Five months (and several bars, where he put together his band) later, _Heartbreak, Thy Name is a Soldier_ went viral, and Tony started picking up record deals. The moment he realized their band could make enough money on music to set them for life, he sold enough of his shares at Stark Industries to leave it in someone else’s hands, and ran away. He loved engineering, inventing, but he didn’t want to make weapons.

His startup company making recording and other music equipment was already taking off beautifully, anyway, as was his other startup company making prosthetics.

“Tony, you ready to record?”

Tony looked up to Clint, standing in the doorway. “That depends. Are you still using a bandsaw?”

“You don’t like anything else I’ve tried to get that lovely metallic sound, so yes.”

Tony grinned. “Then we’re ready.” He stood, slipping his guitar strap over his shoulder. “Let’s get to it.”

Clint followed him into the recording studio. “Are you sure about his, Tony?”

“Yeah. It’s not like he’s still waiting or anything. And I’ve had these songs written since we started out - it’s about time someone heard them.”

Clint sighed. “What are we starting with?”

“ _Irresistible_ , of course.”

* * *

James Barnes nearly spit his coffee out when he saw the news while waiting to do a few shots. He’d shipped out as a soldier, promptly lost an arm and been shipped home, and then, after some startup prosthetics company offered to do all his work for free if he beta tested everything, took up modeling.

And everyone loved him.

“STEVE!” he screeched.

Steve Rogers, fellow model and best friend for one James Barnes, raced into the room. “What, what?”

“There’s a new album coming out in fifty-six days! I had no idea, why did no one tell me?!”

Steve Rogers groaned. “Because you need to do this shoot, and then you can moon over your secret boyfriend and his Avengers.”

“Oh, I wish. Have you even heard his music, it’s gorgeous, I bet he’s gorgeous -”

“At least you aren’t moping around after Tony Stark anymore,” Steve sighed. James went silent in a split second, and Steve groaned again. “Seriously? It’s been five years!”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get over Tony Stark,” James said.

Steve could have responded with any number of things; how James shouldn’t have broken up in the first place, how he could have called him, how Tony Stark had promptly dropped off the map after their breakup and no one had heard anything from him since. Instead, he was silent and patted James’ shoulder in commiseration.

Phil Coulson poked his head in. “Your turn, Barnes. Make it count, and I’ll see if I can get in touch with Iron Man’s manager, maybe get you a gig doing their album cover.”

James squealed and raced out of his prep room to go start shooting.

Phil just shook his head and pulled out his phone. He needed to make some calls.

* * *

Pepper Potts was very, very good at her job. She’d gotten it straight out of high school, and quickly learned everything there was to know about the music industry. And her rather eclectic collection of band members.

Still, she hadn’t been prepared to get a phone call from Steve Rogers, who managed several of the best models in the world. James Barnes. Steve Rogers. Thor. Janet Van Dyne. Johnny Storm. 

“Ms. Potts.”

“Phil! To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?”

“I’m sure you are aware that I manage James Barnes.”

“Of course, of course!”

“He has expressed interest in working with _The Avengers_ ; he is a huge fan of their music, and as all proceeds from the next album are going to charities for wounded veterans, we were wondering if you would like a free model for the cover.”

Pepper smiled, sharp-toothed. Tony was going to flip. She would talk him into it, though. She always did. “I’ll discuss it with the band and get back to you.”

“Of course,” Phil said.

 

“WHAT?!” Tony shrieked, and Pepper smirked.

“I said, James Barnes has offered to do the cover of our charity album for free.”

Tony loudly had a very dramatic panic attack. “No! No way! Nuh-uh, just no! I’m rethinking everything!”

“We’ve already recorded half the music,” Clint pointed out.

“But - but -”

“Besides,” Natasha said, maybe a bit more cruelly than she intended, “You’re so convinced he doesn’t care or remember much about you that it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Tony went quiet, and Natasha winced. 

Bruce sighed. “It’s for charity,” he reminded them all.

“I might kill him on accident, so we probably shouldn’t meet him,” Rhodey spoke up. He was still pissed that James left in the first place.

Pepper nodded. “I already planned for that. The album cover is going to be based off of our themes for the music - heartbreak, endurance, soldiers. Fairly standard for our stuff. He’ll hear _Irresistible_ , and do the shoot, and then he’ll be gone.”

She hadn’t been happy about dragging Tony and Rhodey out of bars all the time. Especially once they started bringing strays with them, though she couldn’t say she regretted it. And that was still better than the three months Tony had dropped entirely off the grid.

“Okay,” Tony grumbled, “Fine. He’s the best option we’ve got.”

“Perfect. I’ll give his agent a call and set up the details.”

* * *

They didn’t let him hear the music until thirteen days and eight hours before the album was scheduled for release. James didn’t care, he still got to hear the title song first, and he got the first copy printed, signed by every member of the band. Ten other copies would be signed and auctioned for big bucks, while the rest would sit on store shelves and iTunes raking in proceeds for charity. 

To listen to the piece, James got all dolled up and called his photographer; he wanted the other man present when he first heard the music, in case they could catch a gem. Peter Parker got all the best shots, and James knew it, even if JJ refused to pay the kid what he was worth.

The music started with a trumpet and bass, and James sank into the music.

_Coming in unannounced, drag my nails on the tile  
I just followed your scent, you can just follow my smile  
All of your flaws are aligned with this mood of mine  
Cutting me to the bone, nothing left to leave behind_

James sank, and sank, felt the saw in his arm and Tony’s nails raking love across his shoulders - dammit, Tony. James wished he’d never broken it off. They could have made long distance work, James could have handled the press. He -

_You ought to keep me concealed just like I was a weapon_

-shouldn’t have hidden it, not like Tony was dangerous, but James had been so scared. They’d never intended to start a full-blown relationship anyway, meant to have a one-night stand -

_I didn't come for a fight but I will fight till the end  
And this one might be a battle, might not turn out okay  
You know you look so Seattle, but you feel so LA_

 

_And I love the way you hurt me_

-except maybe to himself. James sighed as the rest of the chorus played. He was so reminded of Tony that he wasn’t sure he could take it. It hurt like losing a limb, and he knew what that was like. Intimately.

_I'm gonna get you to burst just like you were a bubble  
Frame me up on your wall just to keep me out of trouble_

He’d told Tony once that he wished he could hang the billionaire on a wall to admire for all his days, safely out of harm’s way, like the greatest painting that ever existed. Tony had laughed and replied that he felt like James was a light, and he was -

_Like a moth getting trapped in the light by fixation_

...Okay, weird. James focused harder on the lyrics. Tony also mentioned that he was hypnotized by James, but somehow felt -

_Truly free, love it baby, I'm talking no inflation  
Too many war wounds and not enough wars  
Too few rounds in the ring and not enough settled scores  
Too many sharks, not enough blood in the waves  
You know I give my love a f-f-four letter na-na-name_

 

Iron Man was Tony Stark. James barely noted the chorus as he reeled from the shock. He used to tease James, call him _Buck_ and _Chér_ and _Doll_ and _Bear_ and _Amor_. It could be a coincidence, he told himself, could just refer to the word love itself.

_You're second hand smoke, second hand smoke  
I breathe you in, but, honey, I don't know what you're doing to me  
Mon chéri, but the truth catches up with us eventually_

Shit, Tony had once, at three am, rolled over in his arms, whispered “ _going to hurt when you realize the truth and leave, because I was never good enough for you, mon chéri_ ,” and shit, James had left. That wasn’t why, though. Tony was never the one who wasn’t good enough.

_Try to say live, live and let live  
But I'm no good, good at lip service  
Except when they're yours, mi amor_

Tony said, once, when James was feeling jealous, “ _The news lies, mi amor, you were the first and last kiss I ever wanted_.”

_I'm coming for you and I'm making war_

_And I still love the way you hurt me_

 

James lost track after the first line of the last chorus. It - it sounded like Tony still loved him. But that was impossible! James left, crushed him, hurt him, left him. Tony should have moved on long ago. He’d vanished, disappeared, sold his weapons company and slipped away with Pepper Potts.

James sat and reeled from the shock as the song started playing again, and barely noted Peter taking pictures.


	2. Chapter 2

“I don’t want to see the cover,” Tony said.

“Of course, Tony,” Pepper said, humoring him even as Tony’s fingers twitched to open the email with the cover inside.

“Really. Everyone else on the band approved it, so there’s no need for me to. And I hate Barnes. Hate him. He left, he said he wouldn’t and he left. Not - we could have done long distance. We could have -”

“Breathe,” Pepper said, setting aside her papers and focusing on Tony. He never really told her what happened in the three months he really had disappeared after James Barnes left, but he’d returned with anxiety and nightmares. She loosely wrapped her fingers around his wrists, rested his fingers on her pulse. “Hold. Now out.”

Slowly, Tony calmed, leaning into her shoulders. She didn’t call him out on it.

“I need to see it, but it hurts,” Tony whispered, “because I loved him, but I wasn’t good enough.”

Pepper sighed. “The picture on the album cover was taken during the first time he listened to _Irresistible_. I’d say it hurts him, too.”

“I doubt it. Not the same way. Maybe the war and soldier stuff, but I doubt he even remembered me.”

Pepper hummed and let Tony lean into her a moment longer. Then he drew back with a “screw it” expression and clicked open the image.

James Barnes stood on the black and white album cover, though it was mostly gray. His metal arm, courtesy of Tony’s startup prosthetics company, gleamed white, bathed in light, idly twisting a pocket knife. James’ face lay in shadow, but the edge of his mouth was creeping halfway into a smile. The creases at the corner of a barely-visible eye drooped like he was going to cry. His hair was mussed like he’d run his hands through it. Thin wires from earbuds dangled from his ears, bright red. The only other color on the album was the red star on James’ shoulder. James stood, face turned to a window while his feet pointed towards the door, like he couldn’t decide whether to wait and watch or run. The album title ran up along the side of the CD case, proclaiming _IRRESISTIBLE_ to the world. There were many other songs on the album - _Red Star_ , and _Two Soldiers and a Sinner_ , and _A Tower of Glass Houses_ , most notably. But none of them were the song Tony had written and refined over the last five years. Written, cried over, bled on, sweated for. Clint had nearly killed Tony when he found out he’d need to learn trumpet, and then refused to let Tony find anyone else to play it. Good thing, too. 

Tony stared at the image, traced James with his eyes, followed the pale curve of his chin into the darkness above his military jacket, thrown over his flesh-and-blood shoulder.

“I still love him, Pep,” Tony said. “I never stopped. I can’t. I don’t know how. I can live without him, but I can’t stop loving him. And there he is. Still so much more than I ever deserved.”

“You do deserve him, Tony,” Pepper said, at the same time as Rhodey, standing in the doorway. “And probably better than,” Rhodey added, joining them on the couch. It didn’t take long for the other Avengers to gather. Natasha turned on _Marley and Me_ and Clint cuddled Lucky and Bruce made popcorn and if Tony was crying, well. What kind of heartless bastard didn’t cry when dogs in movies died, anyway?

* * *

 _Irresistible_ topped the charts, and the rest of the album made the list easily. The auction for the ten signed records was a week after the release date, and as much to celebrate the successful turnout as anything else. James Barnes was attempting to hide in a corner and nurse a drink. The auction was silent, and he’d already made quite a large bid to try and get a record, though he doubted it would be enough. There were some seriously wealthy and well-known persons present, and James had never felt quite like he belonged. He could charm the pants off of any of them, but he didn’t particularly care too, usually. And all the ones he did seduce tended to have brown hair and big, liquidy chocolate eyes, and brains like woah.

Five years and he was still looking for the same person every time he turned around.

Someone slipped into his corner with a sigh of relief. Then they noticed him. “Oh, sorry,” they said, and turned to look at him properly.

Both of them froze at the same moment.

James stared. The brown hair, a mess, like someone had their hands in it, the warm brown eyes that he could drown in, the carefully clipped goatee, the wicked curve of lips and thick, thick lashes that fluttered when they took their first sip of coffee in the morning -

“Tony,” James breathed, and winced, because the name slipped free of his lips like a prayer.

“...James,” Tony said, and there was a polite, heartbroken edge to the curves of the word.

James blinked and reached out to touch, because he couldn’t help himself, and Tony was gone.

_No._

James moved fast, sliding out of the corner and looking around. He spotted a brown head of hair ducking around a corner towards the rest of the building and followed as fast as he could without attracting undue attention.

 _No, I refuse to let you go again_ , James thought, _Not without telling you_.

He hit an empty hallway and started running. “Tony?” he said.

Silence came back, though he could hear the footfalls in front of him slow.

“Tony, please,” he said, and he sounded desperate. James couldn’t hear Tony running anymore. An open door beckoned him forward. “Tony?”

Tony was pressed into a corner, gasping slightly. James winced in sympathy. “Tony, Tony breath. In… Out… good.” He didn’t crowd Tony or try to touch him, just counted breaths. What had happened to give Tony panic attacks? Eventually, Tony’s breath evened out. James stayed carefully back, not wanting to accidentally start another one.

“...So. Hi.”

James couldn’t help it, he sniggered. “Hi, yourself.”

An awkward silence fell.

“I’ve listened to every single song the Iron Man has ever produced.”

Tony blinked up at him, still curled up in a ball in his corner. James sighed and settled his back against the wall next to him, leaving space for Tony to get away if he wanted. “Yeah, his music’s good,” Tony said, bewildered.

“Mhm. I was an idiot though. Had to go back and repeat all of them after _Irresistible_. I didn’t ever know you sang so beautifully.”

Tony froze.

“Can’t believe I didn’t figure out it was you until this newest album. Mon cheri.”

“You. Um. You caught that, huh?”

“You know I didn’t leave because of you, right.”

“Sure,” Tony said. He sounded thoroughly unconvinced.

“It was more like, there I was, eighteen and without a penny to my name. How in the world could I possibly hope to deserve to keep a billionaire genius with the biggest heart I’d ever seen? Also I was afraid of the press.”

Tony snorted.

“Yeah, I had noticed we seem to have switched places on that front. Where on earth did you disappear to, anyway?”

“Made a band.”

James sighed. “Yeah, unfair question.”

They fell silent again.

* * *

Tony leaned into the steady pressure of the wall at his back, shifting uncomfortably. The silence was filled with things unsaid and things that he wanted to say and things that should never be said. Even if what James was saying was true, he couldn’t still want Tony. Tony was broken now, after the three month rebound with Ty and Obadiah’s issues. Plus, now things were the other way around. James was a world-famous model, and Tony was a nobody. Iron Man, that was something, but Tony had no intention of telling anyone his identity anytime soon. 

“Dinner,” James said.

“What?”

“I… Can… _May_ I please take you out to dinner?”

“...What?”

“I haven’t dated anyone since. Had a few one night stands, all with mouthy brunettes. But it wouldn’t be fair to either of us to just… pick up where we left off. So. Dinner?”

Tony blinked, wide-eyed. “Uh.”

James waited, and the silence lingered. Tony had no idea what to do with this. What if James left again? When he left again, Tony was damaged goods. Already. That would get worse. And what if he didn’t like the band? Tony really couldn’t get rid of them at this point. And. Tony was just scared. But he wanted. He wanted so badly to say yes. He’d never stopped loving James.

After a couple minutes, a little more doubt crept into James’ eyes. “Unless - if you’ve got someone or don’t want to, that’s fine -”

“No, I…” Tony hesitated. “Dinner. Dinner sounds. Nice.”

James beamed like someone had just handed him everything good in the world on a silver platter, and Tony felt his heart melt.

Dinner, yeah. This was going to be a rough ride, but he had a feeling it might even be worth it.

“Tony, are you -” the voice cut itself off, and Tony looked up, noting as James did the same next to him.

“I’m good,” Tony said, aware he was grinning a bit dopily. “I’ve got a dinner, at some point, with this guy here, so please no maiming.”

Clint and Natasha were… kind of glaring really hard at James, which actually made Tony feel a little warm and fuzzy down in his gooey center. Not that he had one of those. Nope. Nuh-uh.

“Barnes,” Clint said, perfectly polite. Too polite.

Tony felt a twinge of sympathy as Barnes started sweating next to him.

“Um, Hawkeye, Widow, Barnes. Barnes, Hawkeye and Widow.”

“Pleased to meet you?” James squeaked.

Yeah, they tended to have that effect on people. Tony felt his smile get bigger, and ducked to hide it. He felt all warm. Tonight was just an emotional rollercoaster. From joy to outright panic to joy to glee. Clint and Natasha were the ones who found him, though Bruce was the one who eventually got him to stop drinking. Tony thought it was adorable when they got all overprotective on him.

“Tony? Would you wait in the hall a minute please?” Natasha asked, sweetly.

Tony never disobeyed when Natasha used _that_ voice. Skittering around her, he leaned against the opposite wall as Clint closed the door. A long five minutes later, the three emerged, James looking just a little shellshocked. 

“Your new friends frighten me,” he told Tony, eyeing them warily.

“Yeah, they do that,” Tony said. He decided this was a good thing. It was going to be good. They would make it good.

On impulse, he tugged James down by the collar, and kissed him. It was sweet and soft and familiar, like coming home after a long tour. Releasing James, Tony turned away, blushing, and threw his arms over the shoulders of Natasha and Clint. “So, Pepper send you to tell me it’s bedtime?”

“Yep,” Clint said.

“Sweet. Let’s head!”

Tony glanced backward. James was smiling dopily after them.

This was going to be fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> originally posted at imaginetonyandbucky.tumblr.com!


End file.
